Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-09-24

soft looted attendants advanced from between
the pillans leAring eeats which were placed
IN h line IL front Of The thrones. We three
aat down, Alphonao AID U~malopo1aas stand
ing behind IA. Scarcely had We done 20
whqn there cam n blaro Of trumpets Prom
aoine passage 20 the right, and a similar
blnrc from lie left. Next a man with q long
white wand Of ivory appeared Just in front
Of Tho right hand throne, and cried out
something IN a loud voice, ending with the
word hyieptba, repealed thee times; and
nnother man, similarly attircd, called out
o slmllar sentence before the other throne,
but ending with the word Horais, elso re-
poated thrice. Then came tho tramp Of
armed mon from each side entrance, ard IN
filed about a score Of picked and magnif-
icontiy aecoutercd guards, who formed up on
each side OF the thrones, ard let their heavy
Iron handled apeara fall simultaneously with
a clash upon tho black marble flooring.
Another double blnro Of ~triurhpets, and IN
from either side, each attended by six
mnidcns, swept tho two queens OF Zu-vendis,
everybody IN tie hall rising to greet them as
they came.
1 have econ beautiful women An my day,
and am no longer thrown into transports at
the sight Of = pretty face, but language fails
mo when TRY TO give somo idea Of the blaze
of lovclinesg that then broke upon us In tho
persons Of these sister queens. Both were
yo~ung-perhaps nto and twenty years Of age-
both were tall and exquisitely formed, but
there tho likeness stopped. One, Nyleptha,
WINS q woman Of dazzling fairness; her right
arm and breast bare, after tho custom Of her
people, showed like snow even against her
white and gold embroidered "kaf,p or toga.
And os for her sweet face, all ! can sayis
that II WIS one thet few men could look on
and forget Her hair, q vefftable crown Of
gold, clustered in short ringlets over her
slinpely head. half hiding the ivory brow, be-
meath which eyes of deep and glorious gray
flashed out in tender majesty. / cannot at
tempt to describe her other features, only the
mouth was most sweet, and curved like Gu
pid's bow, and over the whole countenan0
there shone an indescribable look Of loving
kindness, lit up by a shadow Of delicate hui
NOR that lay upon her face like q touch OF
silver ON o rosy cloud. She wore no jew
els, but on her neck, arm ard knee were thu
usual torques OK gold, In this instance fash
toned like a snake, and her dress was Of pure
white linen OF excessive fneness. plentifully
embroidered with gold, AMI with the familiar
symbols Of the sun.
Her twin sister, Sorais, WINS Of a different
and darker type of beauty. Her hair was
wavy ike Nyleptha's, but coal black. and fell
in masses on her shoulders; her complexion
was olive, her eyes large, dark and lustrous;
the lips were full and thought rather cruel
Somehow Der face, quiet and even cold as IL
was, gave an idea Of passion In repose and
caused one TO wonder i~nvoluntarily what It's
aspect would be II anything occurred to
break the calm. II reminded me Of the deep
sea, that even on the bluest days never loses
its visible stamp Of power and in its murmur-
ing sleep Is yet instinct with the spirit Of the
storm. her figure, like her sisters, was al
most perfect la its curves and outlines. but q
tri6e more rounded, and her dress was abso-
lutely the anne.
AS this lovely pair swept onward to their
respective thrones, amid the deep attentive
silence Of the court, I was bound to confess
to myself that they did indeed fulfil my idea
Of royalty. Royal they were in every way
in form, in grace and queenly dignity, and In
the barbaric splendor of their attendant
pomp. But methought that they needed no
guards or gold to proclaim their power and
bind the loyalty Of ~wayward men. A glance
from those bright eyes or n smile from those
sweet lips, and while the red blood runs in the
veins Of youth women such as these will never
lack subjects ready to do their biddings to the
death. ts se N
But, after ell, they were women first and
queens afterward, and therefore not devoid
Of curiosity. AS .ney passed TO their seats /
saw both OF them glance swiftly in our direc-
ton. / saw, TOO, that their eyes passed by
me, seeing nothing to charm them in the per-
son Of an Insignificant and griazled old mar.
Then they looked with evident establishment
on the grim form Of old U~mslopogaas, who
raised his ak in salutation. Attracted next
by the splsndor of Goods apparel, for O sec
ond their glance rested on him, like a hum
ming moth upon a flower, then Off it darted
p where Sir Henry Curtis stood, the sunlight
from a window playing upon his yellow hair
and peaked beard, and marking out tho out
lines of his massive frame against the twilight
OF tbs somewhat gloomy hall. He raised his
eyes md they met the fair Nyleptha's full,
and thus for the first time the goodliest man
and woman that 1t has ever been my lot to
soc looked one upon tho other. And why it
was ! know not. but ! saw the swift blood
run up beneath Nyleptha's skin as the pink
lights run up the morning sky. Red grew
her fair bosom end shapely arm, red the swan
like mock the rounded cheeks blushed red as
the petals OF a rose, and thcn the crimson
Good sank back to whence it came, and left
her pale and trembling.
Iglanced at Sir Henry. He, too, had col
bred up to the eyes.
"Ol my wordIp thought ! to myself, athe
ladies have come on the stage. and now we
may look to the plot to develop ITSELF" And
sighed and shook my head, knowing that
tho beauty OF a woman is like the beauty OF
the lightning-a destructive thing and a cause
Of desolation. By tho time that l had finished
my reflections both the queens were On the
thrones, for all this had happened in about
six seconds. Once more the unseen trumpets
blared out, and then the court seated itself
and Queen Sorais motloned to us to do like
wise.
Next from among tho crowd, whittier be
had withdrawn, stepped forward our guide,
the old gentleman who had towed US ashore,
holding by the hand the girl whom we had
first seen and afterwards rescued from the
hippopotnmus. Having made obeisanee, he
proceeded to address the queens, evidently
describing to them the way and place where
we had been found. II was most amusing to
watch the establishment. not unmixed with
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